Speechless Empathy

I saw a great illustration of empathy the other day, and in a place where I didn’t expect – at a movie theatre We all stood for the national anthem that’s played before the beginning of the movie.

They played the anthem video where hearing & speech impaired children are singing the national anthem. I wondered why. Then I looked back and there was one little girl who was hearing and speech impaired. I could then make a connection as to why that video was played. That’s a perfect example of empathy and taking care of the least . The Parable of the lost sheep also deals with this idea. That one little child was important. She had to understand what was sung.

I was amazed by what the staff of that movie theatre did. They are trained to be empathetic. I wish all people show that kind of empathy in their most important ongoing movie called LIFE!

Get busy living

“Get busy living or get busy dying.” This is a line from the movie Shawshank Redemption. The recent Bollywood hit 102 Not Out is saying the same thing is a different way.

The veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor have bowled over the movie goers with their superb acting. But more than their acting, the idea of ‘living’ is portrayed so well. Amitabh at one point says with a lot of humour, that he never died in his entire life. He says as long as you are alive don’t die. His son of 75 years is afraid of living as much as of dying. He gets his BP and blood sugar checked everyday. He takes shower for less than 15 minutes because he will catch cold otherwise. He doesn’t listen to music, doesn’t go out, doesn’t even smile. Basically he’s just waiting for his death. Have you come across such people?

The spirit of living every moment is the key. We don’t live in a perfect world and we shouldn’t expect either. We can imagine and dream of a world for us. Every living moment is precious and worth savouring. Worrying about tomorrow doesn’t help.

More than having a good time

It’s more than entertainment and relaxation when you go out with the family for a movie. It’s more than just a family time and social extravagance. It’s much more.

I was having a chat with my colleagues about going to movies and spending. We agreed that things have become more expensive now but also the experience of going to the movie has changed dramatically. I am of the view that we do more than spend money. We teach our children to have a good time spending money. After all we work so hard to earn. We teach them to be generous and not a miser. I have seen people who have never taken their kids to the movies or a coffee house. It’s so important to splurge sometimes. What’s the point of working so hard if you cannot enjoy the fruit of your labour?

The present generation is willing to be more generous and spend where it’s needed. No more do children keep money under the pillow and miss that fantastic movie that’s playing nearby.

Hate Stories

The fourth instalment of hate story, the movie, is playing in theaters at present. If I am not mistaken there has been only one Love Story so far from Bollywood.

I think the negative is more popular than the positive, the hate is glorified more than love. And then there are efforts made by groups of people for peace and harmony in society. Movies, novels, magazines, newspapers, internet – it’s there all over the place. More hate stories than love stories. Shooting at a school in Florida, racist clashes in Australia, gun-fights in Brazil; these things happen because movies blow them out of proportion. There are good movies too, that of people like Dr. King, Gandhi, Mandela, who are role models for a new and peaceful world. But people are not imitating these great men. We are more influenced by the violence, the wars, conflicts and the works.

I wish we made more movies on love, compassion, peace and brotherhood of men. “I hope someday you will join us and the world will be as one.”